Detectives investigating phone hacking at the News of the World have arrested
the former secretary of Rebekah Brooks, News International’s former chief
executive.

Cheryl Carter and her former boss Rebekah BrooksPhoto: PA/XPOSURE

By Mark Hughes, Crime Correspondent

8:18PM GMT 06 Jan 2012

Cheryl Carter, 47, was arrested at her home in Essex on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice. She is the 17th person to be arrested as part of Operation Weeting, including Mrs Brooks who was held in July.

Ms Carter worked for Mrs Brooks for 19 years. She became her secretary when Mrs Brooks was appointed deputy editor of the Sun and followed her to the News of the World.

Most recently she held the title of executive assistant when Mrs Brooks was chief executive of News International. Ms Carter would have had access to her boss’s diaries and other documents, possibly including emails.

The secretary was mentioned at the culture, media and sport committee inquiry when Mrs Brooks gave evidence in July.

Asked if she had ever met Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator convicted for phone hacking on behalf of the News of the World, Mrs Brooks said that Ms Carter could confirm there was no meeting between herself and Mulcaire.

She was asked by Tom Watson MP: “Did you ever have any contact, directly or through others, with Glenn Mulcaire?” She replied she had not and Mr Watson asked if her “diary secretary” would be able to confirm that.

Mrs Brooks replied: “I’ve had a PA for 19 years called Cheryl.” The former editor was then asked if Ms Carter kept all her diaries for the past 19 years.

She replied: “No, she probably doesn’t. We don’t keep that for 19 years, but she may have something from back then. I don’t know.”

Ms Carter left News International last July shortly after Mrs Brooks resigned.

She continued to write for the Sun, where she held the title beauty editor, until late last year. Her final column appeared on Dec 2.

It is not known whether News International bosses had advance notice of yesterday’s arrest. The company has set up a management and standards committee which has trawled email archives and other documents and has handed anything incriminating to Scotland Yard.

It has so far given police 300 million emails.

Ms Carter also runs a cosmetic brand called Famous, which she started with Sue Moxley, a beauty journalist. Last year she organised a memorial service for late journalists at St Bride’s church on Fleet Street.

News International sources described her as “very popular”. A spokesman for the company refused to comment on her arrest.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “Officers from Operation Weeting have arrested a 47-year-old woman at an address in Essex. The woman was arrested at approximately 06.55 on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice.” The woman was released on bail until later this month.

Several high-profile individuals from the News of the World have already been arrested, including Andy Coulson, its former editor.

Mrs Brooks was questioned over allegations of phone hacking and the suggestion that News International journalists had made illegal payments to the police.